5 Things We Have Learned About Teamwork From England’s World Cup Squad

(180703) — MOSCOW, July 3, 2018 (Xinhua) — Head coach Gareth Southgate of England celebrates victory after the 2018 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match between England and Colombia in Moscow, Russia, July 3, 2018. England won 5-4 (4-3 in penalty shootout) and advanced to the quarter-final. (Xinhua/He Canling)

World Cup fever has truly struck England, with the nation totally captivated by the efforts of Gareth Southgate’s squad out in Russia. England have reached the semi-finals for the first time in 28 years, putting in inspired performances and demonstrating tremendous and infectious passion.

Expectations are always high of the national team, and in recent years the Three Lions just haven’t quite cut the mustard. There is something different about the squad this year though, a real sense of togetherness and harmony.

Here at The Forge Communications we can really see parallels between the England Squad and ourselves…

Directors Holly and Emma-Jo have the cool, calm heads of Gareth Southgate, leading by example with great enthusiasm. They seem to be huge fans of the England boss; I found a couple of waistcoat catalogues stashed away in the office; hopefully they won’t be imitating his style anytime soon….

Account Manager Hannah reminds me a lot of Jordan Henderson, she has a terrific work ethic, and is a real lynchpin of the team. Senior Account Executive Emily has the dependableness and passion of Harry Maguire, and even practices headers during her lunch break. Finally, we come to me, a young Marcus Rashford type figure who is in the early days of his career but with bags of potential and ambition (I realise that sounds a little big-headed but I’m going to let it go!)

In all seriousness we have garnered a lot from the Three Lions this World Cup, here are the top 5 five things we have learned about teamwork for Southgate’s men:

Unity is Key – The sense of unity amongst the England squad this year is refreshing and unprecedented. Performances of the team have been much greater than in previous international tournaments, and this is majorly down to the sense of harmony in the camp. This is transferrable to the workplace, if the team feel united, productivity and success will surely follow.

Stay Positive- Negativity and pessimism can really hinder a teams cohesion. England faltered in their final group game against Belgium in a narrow 1-0 loss. Did they let that bother them? No chance, they powered through with slick displays against Colombia and Sweden. A team project not quite going how you want it to? Stay upbeat, look for the positives and build upon them.

Communication is Crucial – We are all regularly told that communication is an imperative component of a successful team. England’s squad out in Russia have really solidified this notion, without proper communication the side would not put in the stellar performances we have been treated to. This is the same in workplace; everyone needs to communicate well to ensure everything runs smoothly and according to plan.

Have Clear, Realistic Targets – The obvious target for Southgate and the England team is to win the World Cup. However within their campaign there have been a series of micro-targets such as qualifying from the group and winning each knockout games, which when reached, add to the positivity and togetherness of the team.

Celebrate Together- England finally won a shoot-out after losing 88% of all previous penalty encounters. The scenes after the win were incredible, with the unity and togetherness on show for all to see. If you work as a team you should celebrate as one, as it truly cements that team feeling.

We’ll be cheering on the boys tonight, let’s hope this amazing run can continue.